Stilt with support platform



Oct. 15, 1968 Ev lANNONE ET AL 3,405,939

STILT WITH SUPPORT PLATFORM Filed June 4, 1965 I z: I 28 llll.

1|! AJ5 ,6 5 E Z z INVENTORS.

EDMUND F. IANNONE /7- I wooaeow w. HOLDER 2 W ..m A

I1 w /9 A7702 5) United States Patent M 3,405,939 STILT WITH SUPPORT PLATFORM Edmund F. Iannone, 12115 Clearglen Ave. 90604, and Woodrow W. Holder, 421 N. Hill 90601, both of Whittier, Calif.

Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,383 2 Claims. (Cl. 27270.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE to a position where they do not grip the pole for adjustment purposes; each of the stilts being further defined by a support platform disposed at the lower end of the stilt and a semi-rigid sleeve anchored to the platform and receiving the lower end of the stilt.

This invention relates to stilts and more particularly to improved stilts which may be adjusted to the capabilities of the user.

An important feature of stilts made in accordance with the present invention is that the foot rests upon which the users feet are placed may be easily adjusted to an elevation compatible with the users skill. Although adjustable stilts have been previously provided, they are eXpenSive to manufacture and more cumbersome to adjust.

Another feature of the present invention is that the stilts include a support platform at the bottom of each stilt, which platform has larger lateral dimensions than the stilt poles to facilitate standing on the stilts. In order to facilitate walking with such platforms, there is provided resilient connecting means which tend to hold each support platform at a predetermined angle, e.g., a right angle, to the stilt pole, but which connecting means permit the platform to be pivoted from that position.

Another feature of the present invention is that the stilts have such construction that each may have secured thereto rollers such as roller skates to increase the difficulty of using the stilts, and thereby provide an additional challenge and enjoyment for the skilled user.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a major object of this invention to provide improved, easily used stilts.

Another object of this invention is to provide low cost, easily adjusted stilts.

A further object of this invention is to provide stilts having foot rests which may be quickly positioned at any desired elevation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide stilts having support platforms at the bottom thereof, which support platforms are connected to the stilt poles by an improved resilient connection means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide improved stilts which have rollers at the lower end thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide stilts which may be modified to accommodate the skill of the US$12.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent in the detailed description below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of a pair of stilts embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG. 1 disclosing details of a preferred form of the foot rest of the stilt;

3,405,939 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the same line as FIG. 2, but with the clamping mechanism in position for adjusting the elevation of the foot rest;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the foot rest as seen from line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view of the foot rest taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3; and,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the lower end of one of the stilts taken along line 66 in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a pair of stilts, indicated generally by the arrows 10, embodying the present invention. The stilts 10 each include a stilt pole 11 having an upper end 12 suitable to be grasped by the user and a lower end 13 at which may be located support structure to be described later.

At a position above the lower ends 13 of the poles 11 there are located foot rests indicated generally by the arrows 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 5 the preferred embodiment of one of the foot rests will be described in detail, the other foot rest being the same. The foot rest 15 includes a frame 16 of a box shaped cross section, including sides 17 joined at their upper edges by an upper web 18 and joined at their lower edges by a lower web 19. The upper web 18 is provided with a hole 20 'while the lower web 19 is provided with a hole 21 aligned with the hole 20. The holes 20 and 21 are sized so as to slidably receive therethrough the pole 11.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 a pending fulcrum 23 is secured to the underside of the upper web 18 at a position adjacent to but spaced from the hole 20. The fulcrum 23 functions in the operation of adjusting and clamping the foot rest 15 at the desired position. The manner of clamping will be described in further detail below.

Located adjacent to the fulcrum 23 but spaced further from the hole 20 is a depending stop 24 which functions in a manner to be described.

For the purpose of clamping the foot rest 15 at the desired position, there is provided a plurality of elongated abutting clamp plates 25 engaging the fulcrum 23. Each of the clamp plates 25 has an oblong opening 26 at one end 27 thereof. FIG. 5 discloses best the fact that the holes 26 are oblong with the longer dimension of the hole being parallel to the length of the particular clamp plate 25. That is each hole 26 has its longest dimension in a direction at a right angle to the fulcrum 23. The shortest dimension of the hole 26 (at a right angle to the longest dimension) is large enough to allow the pole 11 to be slidably received therethrough. With this arrangement when each of the clamp plates 25 is turned to the oblique position shown in FIG. 2 the wall of each opening 26 engages the outer surface of the pole 11 around substantially the entire circumference thereof. The gripping action is improved by hardening the wall of each open-ing 26. Further, it will be noted that the gripping action is improved by virtue of the fact that there are a plurality of clamp plates 25 used. The wall of each opening 26 through each clamp plate 25 grips the pole 11 at a ring of contact.

As will be described in further detail below, each of the clamp plates 25 is moved to a condition at a right angle to the axis of the pole 11 by pressing upwardly on second end 28 of the lowest clamp plate 25. The sides 17 and lower web 19 have been cut away as at 29 to facilitate applying this upward force. In operation, the user will push down on upper Web 18 and pull upwardly on the end 28 until the top clamp plate 25 engages the stop 24 at which time the clamp plates are at a right angle to the axis of the pole 11.

Encircling the pole 11 and engaging the plates 25 at the one end 27 thereof is a compression spring 31 which continuously urges the clamp plates towards the oblique condition shown in FIG. 2. The spring 31 serves two important functions. First, the spring 31 automatically pushes the clamp plates 25 into the locking position when the manual pressure of the user is removed from the end 28. Therefore, the user does not have to manually cant the clamp plates 25 to the clamping, or locking, position. Further, each time the user takes his weight off the particular foot rest, there would be the danger of the clamp plates 25 becoming loosened if the spring 31 did not hold them in the locked position.

With the structure provided, the foot rest may be adjusted to any one of almost an infinite number of elevations by merely pushing the clamp plates to the position shown in FIG. 3 and moving the foot rest to the position desired. At that time the spring 31 returns the clamp plates 25 to the clamping position shown in FIG. 2. Then the weight of the user functions to cause the clamp plates 25 to grip the pole 11 in direct proportion to the amount of weight on the foot rest. In other words, the more weight there is on the foot rest 15 the greater that the clamp plates 25 tend to grip the pole 11.

Referring now to FIG. 6, learning to walk on the stilts can be facilitated by the provision of a support platform which stabilizes the user. To this end, there is provided a support platform 34 which has lateral dimensions which are greater than the pole 11. The platform 34 has an upstanding post 35 secured thereto which has a flat upper face 36. The flat upper face 36 cooperates with a flat lower face 37 on the lower end 13 of the post 11. In close frictional engagement with the post 35 and the lower pole end 13 there is provided a resilient sleeve in the form of a closed coil spring 38 for a function to be described. The spring 38 engages the post 35 and the lower end 13, and when the pole 11 is lifted the friction is sufiicient to raise the structure below it with the pole.

The spring 38 functions to resiliently urge the pole 11 to the upright position disclosed in full lines. However, the spring 38 will permit the pole 11 to swing, or pivot, from side to side, such as indicated by phantom lines 40, much the same as the ankle on a person. It should be noted, that the coil 38 functions not only as the universal joint, but provides support to that joint. Additionally it will be noted that connection formed by the spring 38 does not permit movement of the pole 11 toward and away from the post 35-only the swinging action mentioned above. Naturally, the faces 36 and 37 could be other than flat.

With the improved method of connection such as provided by the spring 38, skilled users may skate on stilts made in accordance with the present invention. While special roller platforms may be provided, it has been found that conventional roller skates are satisfactory. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 6, roller skates 41, having wheels 42 thereon, are secured to the bottom of the stilts 10 by suitable means. Preferably, a plate 43 is used with nut and bolt combinations 44 to clamp each roller skate 41 to the respective support platform 34.

It will be noted that the user can use the stilts without the support platforms 34 or skates 41. In such case, the

lower ends 13 would be placed directly on the ground. Alternatively, the lower end 13 may be received within the spring 38 and frictionally held there by that spring while support platform 34 performs its stabilizing function. Further, the skilled user may easily secure a roller platform to the underside of the support platform 34 to provide a greater challenge.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have 'been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such is by way of illustration only and numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is our intention that the present invention be limited solely by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A stilt comprising:

an upstanding pole having a lower end and an upper end;

a foot rest secured to said pole;

a support platform disposed at the lower end of said pole, said support platform including:

a plate having greater lateral dimensions than said pole extending at a right angle to said pole;

a short post upstanding from the plate a short distance and terminating in an upper face which receives in engagement therewith a lower face on the said lower end of said pole;

a helical spring encircling said post and a portion of the lower pole end, said helical spring being in close frictional engagement with said post and lower pole end, said frictional engagement being sufiicient that the support platform will be lifted with the pole when the latter is lifted.

2. The stilt set forth in claim 1 including:

means for adjustably securing said foot rest to said pole, said means including:

a clamp plate having an opening therethrough receiving said pole therethrough, said clamp plate being movable between a first position where it does not clamp the pole and a second position where it clamps the pole, said opening having a wall which engages the pole in said second position, said clamp plate being disposed so that weight on the foot rest urges said clamp plate towards said second position, said hole being of an oblong shape with the wall of the hole disposed to engage the pole around substantially all of the circumference thereof when said clamp plate is in said second position;

and means resiliently urging said clamp plate toward said second position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 327,374 9/1885 Zack et al 27.2-70.1 1,505,220 8/1924 Shay 248410 1,984,114 12/ 1934 Collins 27270.1 2,096,310 10/1937 Schauweker 272-70.1 3,065,982 11/1962 Dodd 248410 2,351,145 6/ 1944 Pearson 3-4 2,949,298 8/1960 Speelman 272-- RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

